1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable protection and guide member configured to protect and guide a cable or a hose. The cable or hose is used in supplying energy from one end connected to a mechanical side fixed frame where a fixed energy source is provided to another end connected to a mechanical side movable frame while being flexed into a shape of the letter “U”.
2. Description of Related Art
A known chain for protecting and guiding a cable which is constructed by connecting a large number of link bodies. Each link body composes a cable accommodating space by connecting upper and lower edge portions of a pair of right and left link plates spaced from each other by a flap and a bottom plate in a cable longitudinal direction as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-47441 (Claims, FIG. 9).
There is also known a foldable cable protecting member composed of segments. Each segment is injection-molded as one synthetic resin piece having a flat structure. Each segment is coupled to each other by flexible bridges as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-514725 (Claims, FIGS. 1-3) for example).
However, the known cable protection and guide chains require considerable work to assemble the link plates, flaps and bottom plates. The chain also produces dust due to wear and damage between the link plates, noise caused by flexion of the link plates, and vibrations caused by polygonal movement of the link plates. The chain also has a cumbersome problem that the flaps have to be removed to accommodate the cable within the cable accommodating space along the cable longitudinal direction when installing the cable.
Because the known segments of cable protecting member are injection-molded synthetic resin pieces having the flat structure, the member has limits in terms of size. The cost of injection molding is considerable when a lengthy member is to be manufactured. The member also has a cumbersome problem in terms of assembly and manufacturing. Namely, the segments to be connected must be built by folding them one by one.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cable protection and guide member that requires no assembly, allows cables to be readily accommodated and installed, steadily protects the cables, suppresses dust otherwise produced by wear and damage, and reduces flexion noise and flexion vibrations. The cable protection and guide member should be able to also steadily keep a straight position of the cable, to achieve a flexional movement of the cable smoothly with a small radius of flexion, and to block the cable from jumping out of the member.